The present invention relates to an automated guided vehicle system comprising a running path, automatic warehouses provided along the running path, and an automated guided vehicle running on the running path.
An automated guided vehicle system has been known which comprises a running path, automatic warehouses (article storages) provided along the running path, and an automated guided vehicle running on the running path. In such a system, to scoop up and transfer an article between the vehicle and each of the automatic warehouses, the automatic warehouse is provided with a horizontal articulated transfer device that advances and retreats in a plane. This transfer device transfers an article by advancing or retreating an arm with multiple rotary joints to or from the vehicle stopped at the side of the automatic warehouse to receive the article from the vehicle or deliver the article from the automatic warehouse to the vehicle.
To perform a transfer operation, the horizontal articulated transfer device must rotate each rotary joint to advance or retreat the arm, while elevating or lowering the arm. Thus, the arm must not only be drivingly controlled to advance and retreat but must also be drivingly controlled to elevate and lower. It is thus difficult to control the arm. Further, the horizontal articulated transfer device has a complicated configuration.
Thus, the present invention provides an automated guided vehicle system that can be easily controlled to transfer an article between the automated guided vehicle and the automatic warehouse.
An object of the present invention has been described above. Now, description will be given of means for accomplishing this object.
According to claim 1, there is provided an automated guided vehicle system comprising a running path suspended from a ceiling, article storages arranged along the running path, and an automated guided vehicle running along the running path, wherein the vehicle is provided with a transfer conveyor and each of the article storages is provided with a storage and retrieval conveyor and wherein the transfer conveyor and the storage and retrieval conveyor are arranged so as to approach each other so that an article can be transferred between the vehicle and the article storage.
In claim 2, a bottom surface of the article is formed to be planar at its laterally opposite ends in a carrying direction and the transfer conveyor and the storage and retrieval conveyor each have a pair of conveyor rows juxtaposed along the carrying direction so that the opposite ends of the bottom surface of the article can be supported by the pair of juxtaposed conveyor rows.
According to claim 3, there is provided an automated guided vehicle system comprising a running path including a plurality of first closed loop paths below each of which an article placement area is provided and a second closed loop path arranged along the corresponding first closed loop path, a first automated guided vehicle that runs along the first closed loop paths and that is provided with an elevating and lowering device to elevate or lower the article for transfer, and a second automated guided vehicle that runs along the second closed loop path and that includes a transfer conveyor, and wherein article storages are each arranged at a position where the article can be delivered between the first vehicle on the corresponding first closed loop path and the second vehicle on the corresponding second closed loop path, and the article storage has a first storage and retrieval conveyor provided at a height position lower than the first closed loop path to deliver and receive the article to and from the first vehicle and a second storage and retrieval conveyor provided at substantially the same height position as that of the transfer conveyor so that the second storage and retrieval conveyor and the transfer conveyor can approach each other, the second storage and retrieval conveyor being used to deliver and receive the article to and from the second vehicle.
In claim 4, the plurality of first closed paths and the second closed path are connected together, and the first vehicle runs along the first closed loop paths and the second closed loop path, while the second vehicle runs only along the second closed loop path.
In claim 5, the elevating and lowering device of the first vehicle elevates and lowers the article by moving the article along a running path in a vertical direction.
According to claim 6, there is provided an automated guided vehicle system comprising a running path including a plurality of first closed loop paths and second closed loop path connecting the first closed loop paths together, and an automated guided vehicle running on the running path, wherein article placement areas are provided below at least the corresponding first closed loop paths of the running path, and a first automated guided vehicle that runs along the first closed loop paths and a second automated guided vehicle that runs along the second closed loop path are provided, wherein article storages are each arranged at a position where the article can be delivered between the first vehicle on the corresponding first closed loop path and the second vehicle on the corresponding second closed loop path, and the first vehicle is provided with a elevating and lowering device that elevates or lowers the article for transfer to the first vehicle, while the second vehicle is provided with a transfer device that moves the article in a lateral direction to deliver and receive the article, and wherein an article delivery station provided in the article storage and closer to the second closed loop path is installed closer to the second closed loop path at substantially the same height position as that of the transfer device of the second vehicle.